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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com